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Highlands (5-5, 4-3)
September 3, 1993: Converse
The Rockets began what they hoped to be a Back-2-Back Division I Award Tour to the moon without the services of Jerod Douglas, who was nursing a deep thigh bruise incurred in the Countdown Demonstration Test (ie, "the scrimmage") with the Southwest Dragons. Even with good defense, and good heads-up play by the Offense in taking advantage of what the Defense was able to give them in the way of a short field due to numerous Owl turnovers, it was nevertheless interesting to note the difference in offensive yardage output in Douglas' absence. The Rockets lifted off and cleared the tower in the first phase of the mission with a 37-yard James Eneix FG at the 8:39 mark of the 1st Quarter, which came following a blocked punt. The score went to 10-0 following a 17-yard TD pass from Clint Rutledge to Shawn Hatter and the Eneix PAT, and the lead was extended to 13-0 with a 40-yard Eneix FG with 11 ticks left in the opening Quarter, this coming at the end of a 40-yard drive. Eneix then got a 3rd FG at the 10:53 mark of the 2nd Quarter, following a fumble recovery. Josh Appleby upped the count to 22-0 on a 43-yard run with 8:03 to go, and with 4 seconds left in the Half, he extended it to 29-0 on a 1-yard run that came following still another fumble recovery, this one by Chad Scott.

Late in the 3rd Quarter Rutledge hooked up once more with Shawn Hatter for a 15-yard score, and the Rockets would score one (1) more time with 9:09 left in the game. The Rockets would finish with 167 ground yards and 42 air yards, zero (0) turnovers and 10 First Downs, while the Owls would gain 31 yards each on the ground and through the air, pick up four (4) First Downs, and experience four (4) lost fumbles and one (1) interception. With the absence of Douglas for the moment, all you could really say for this result, in the same matter-of-fact way that John Young used as the Descent Propulsion System (DPS) engine on Orion lit up for the descent to the Cayley Plains of Descartes in 1972, is: "It starts." Anyone familiar with the history of Apollo 16 up to that point in the flight, however, knows that this report was sufficient. And totally good.....so far.

Marshall (3-6-1, 1-4)
September 11, 1993: Northside
The Rockets and Rams had met twice before at Northside Stadium, and twice before the meeting ended in a tie. In both encounters the Rockets were still working on their offensive propulsion components and integrating their overall systems performance. The Rockets entered the encounter on this particular Saturday evening still missing a key component, namely, Jerod Douglas. Hence, in the opening stanza the Rams were able to get the ball at their 19 and drive down to the Rocket 20. Chad Scott would get a 9-yard sack to stall the drive out, but Darrell Woods nevertheless connected on a 47-yard FG with 2:20 to go in the 1st. The Rockets then responded with a 2-yard run by Duane Cotton to go up 7-3 with 6:24 to go in the Half following the PAT. The 3rd Quarter remained scoreless, and remained so until Clint Rutledge scored on a 36-yard run on 4th Down and Eneix nailed the PAT to give Judson a 14-3 lead with 6:17 to go in the game. Marshall then drove down close enough for Woods to boot a 32-yarder at the 2:55 mark. Judson had to surrender the ball after a three-and-out, and the Rams then burned the Rockets with a 92-yard pass play followed by a two-point conversion to tie the game with 1:15 to go. Brian Salinas then intercepted Judson at midfield, and the Rams were able to get to the Rocket 29-yard line with 11 seconds to go, where Woods' FG attempt on 3rd Down failed. Hence, this meeting ended in a tie as well and, in contrast with the two (2) such previous results, the Rams were able to claim the moral victory in front of the 10052 witnesses, as they out-gained the Rockets in total yardage 296 to 207, and had 12 First Downs to the Rockets' seven (7). The good thing for the Rockets, however, was that they were able to get some good Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) data on their various offensive and defensive components and, with Douglas expected to return, in the long run there was probably no real damage done, and it probably lit a fire that would burn brightly for the Rocket Flight Crew as they still eagerly awaited the re-insertion of the one engine component that could take the Rockets out of their parking orbit and on toward their ultimate objective.

Round Rock (5-5, 4-2)
September 17, 1993: Converse
"Feel that beauty come on." Such were the words of Charlie Duke once the DPS engine of Orion throttled up during the approach to Descartes. Similar sentiments, no doubt, were felt by the Flight Crew and the FOD in Converse on this Friday evening, as Jerod Douglas officially joined the 1993 Rocket mission. The Rockets drove 61 yards (46 of that contributed by Douglas) for the first score, which came on an 11-yard Douglas run and Eneix kick with less than two (2) minutes gone in the 1st Quarter. Shortly thereafter, Douglas took off on a 48-yard run that made the score 13-0 at the 7:32 mark of the 1st after the failed PAT. Douglas would turn the ball over early in the 2nd Quarter, but with time running down in the First Half, Douglas would gain 32 and 30 yards, and thereafter score on a 12-yard run with and a two-point conversion with 2:58 to go. Duane Cotton picked up a 61-yard gainer that put the Rockets in position for Eneix to nail a 34-yard FG with six (6) seconds to go to give Judson a 24-0 advantage at the break. The Rockets would then score on a 24-yard pass early in the 3rd Quarter, and Eneix would connect on a 47-yard FG with 1:45 to go in the 3rd to finish the Rockets' scoring for the evening. The Defense, which had been performing nearly flawlessly thus far in the season, then got burned on a 96-yard pass play for a Dragon score with 8:37 to go in the game. The Dragons would finish with 71 ground yards, 185 yards through the air, and a 41-yard punting average on six (6) attempts. The Rockets would have 517 yards, 486 of which were on the ground, and 246 of it by Douglas on 15 carries. Cotton contributed 118 yards on seven (7) carries. A few Rocket system anomalies that the FOD and Crew needed to work on, however, were the twelve (12) penalties for 113 yards.

Temple (7-3, 4-1)
September 24, 1993: Temple
10000 were on-hand in Temple to view this showdown between the two (2) defending 5A champions from 1992. The Wildcats, while ultimately proving to be a worthy defending Division 2 Champ, nevertheless were still putting some pieces together by the time the Rockets soared into town, and it showed in this game, especially now that the Rockets had fully throttled up on Offense. Judson got on the board with a 54-yard pass from Rutledge to Doug Maziur at the 7:50 mark to take a 6-0 lead after missing the PAT. The Cats would come growling back, and threatened to tie it up and take the lead by getting to the Judson 1-yard line before the Rockets were able to strip the ball near the goal line. Rutledge, who was still reeling somewhat after having his helmet knocked off early in the Rockets’ opening drive, was replaced by Backup QB Terry Hale for the ensuing series, and Hale likewise found Maziur, this time for a 36-yard pass play for the score, which went to 14-0 following a reception from Shawn Hatter for the 2-point play at the 11:20 mark of the 2nd Quarter. With 7:50 to go in the Half, Hale then found Hatter again on the Rockets’ next series, this for a 27-yard pass play for a 21-0 lead following the Eneix kick.

The 3rd Quarter would remain scoreless, and the Rockets finished skinning the Cats with a 58-yard pass from Rutledge and an Eneix PAT with 7:21 left in the game. The Rockets would finish with 240 air yards split nearly evenly between Rutledge and Hale, with Rutledge going 4-for-four in spite of his inauspicious start, and Hale completing 6 of 10 with one (1) pickoff. Jerod Douglas left with 2:28 to go in the 3rd Quarter when he got dinged near the goal line for what was going to be a TD, fumbling the ball away instead. He nevertheless finished with 18 carries for 186 of the Rockets’ 265 rushing yards in helping Temple to a goose egg and their 2nd loss in four (4) games thus far in the 1993 campaign. The Cats, nevertheless, did not go down all that easily, gaining 185 ground yards on 38 carries, and 74 through the air. As a further testimony to how well-coached both teams were, at least in this match-up, the Rockets had two (2) infractions for 25 yards, and the Cats had four (4) for only 18 yards.

Roosevelt (4-6, 1-4)
October 7, 1993: Blossom
This Thursday affair to open District play at Blossom was a systematic annihilation. The Rockets jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the 1st Quarter, highlighted by a 39-yard Douglas run with 5:35 to go. In the 2nd Quarter, the Riders would score first, at the 9:21 mark, utilizing a 32-yard pass for the TD followed by the PAT, but the Rockets scored quickly thereafter, the first score coming on a Rutledge 25-yard run at the 6:53 mark, and the 2nd coming on a 43-yard Douglas sprint to extend the advantage to 35-7 at the Half. Center Mike Breckenridge recovered a Douglas fumble into the end-zone at the 7:24 mark of the 3rd, and the scoring onslaught ended with 11:24 to go in the game, courtesy of a 1-yard Hale run. Eneix was good on all seven (7) of his PAT’s, and Rutledge was good on all eight (8) of his passes. The Rockets had only one (1) punt, that one going for 44 yards, and only one (1) penalty for five (5) yards. The Rockets had no turnovers, while TR experienced one (1) each in the air and on the ground, while picking up 120 rushing yards and 86 passing. Judson, on the other hand, picked up 367 ground yards, with Douglas contributing 155 of those, with the balance split liberally between seven (7) other Backs. Rutledge’s perfect passing percentage had 73 yards to show for it, along with a 15-yard TD pass Alan Alcantara for Judson’s initial score.

MacArthur (2-8, 2-3)
October 15, 1993: Converse
The meeting in Converse seemed like a clone of the one with TR the week before. The Rockets jumped out to a 14-0 1st-Quarter lead, the first TD coming on a 15-yard Jerod Douglas run at the 9:22 mark, and the second a result of an 18-yard Josh Appleby run. Eneix would then contribute a 23-yard FG with four (4) seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter, which came following a Josh Green fumble recovery. A Rutledge to Hatter pass play for a 28-yard score followed with 4:06 to go before the Half, and Mac would get on the board with a TD and PAT with 45 seconds left before the break. The Rockets scored 21 points in the 3rd Quarter, highlighted by a 68-yard Appleby scoring dash at the 6:35 mark that occurred only two (2) minutes after Douglas had contributed with a 3-yard scoring run, and a 16-yard TD run by Cotton with 33 seconds left. With ten (10) seconds gone in the final Quarter, Leslie Brown scored on a 15-yard fumble return to close out the scoring. Eneix was good on all of his PAT’s except for the final one. The Rockets and Brahmas each experienced two (2) lost fumbles and zero (0) INT’s. The Brahmas picked up 74 yards on the ground and 92 through the air, and the Rockets picked up 77 air yards on 6-of-8 pass attempts (Rutledge would complete 6-of-7), and 408 rushing yards, with Appleby getting 105, Douglas getting 100, and the balance split liberally between seven (7) other Backs. The Rockets had zero (0) punts. Although this game had the appearance of being a clone of the one the week before, the Brahmas were in a hidden state of rejuvenation that would manifest itself fully by the end of the season, and definitely by the time the Rockets would meet them again in 50 weeks or so.

Churchill (7-3, 3-2)
October 23, 1993: Blossom
"Black out Judson" was the popular slogan carried by the Charger contingent of the 13000 on hand at Blossom, as the resurgent Chargers entered the Saturday evening showdown with a 2-0 District mark and 6-1 overall record. Judson’s first series ended ominously enough with a punt after Jerod Douglas’ 16-yard TD run was negated by a holding penalty. The next series, however, looked much better, and the Rockets scored on a 7-yard pass from Rutledge to Maziur at the 5:02 mark of the opening stanza. Douglas then scored on a 3-yard run with "four zeros" on the 1st Quarter clock, and Judson would have a 14-0 lead. Field position was key in those two (2) drives, as the Rockets managed to keep the Chargers backed up sufficiently so that both drives started on the Churchill 44 and 47.

The score remained 14-0 through the 2nd Quarter, and would remain so in the 3rd until Douglas scored on a 14-yard run with 5:12 to go to bring the count 21-0 after Eneix nailed his third PAT. The Chargers then showed why they were very much in contention, and for a while they darned near looked as if they had mastered the kind of Star Wars technology that their namesake and his constituents could have benefited from during the rocket bombardment of London late in the War. QB Steve Mason completed a 40-yard pass to Dayne Albright that brought the Chargers to the Rocket 32 and he then connected on a 27-yard pass to Brandy White to the 2. Shortly thereafter Richard Gartner scored on a 1-yard leap with 11:52 to go in the 4th Quarter. Following the PAT, the Chargers got the onside kickoff at the Judson 49, and the drive was culminated in a 9-yard pass from Steve Mason to his brother Lyle, which, following the PAT, brought the score to 21-14 with 8:24 to go. The Rockets went back to work, however, Douglas scored on a 5-yard run with 4:15 to go, and Eneix got the PAT. A William Montgomery sack led to the Chargers needing to punt, and the Rockets got the ball at the Churchill 38. Douglas would score on a 32-yard run, and Eneix once again got the PAT with 1:36 left. Chad Scott then returned an interception (Churchill’s only turnover) 36 yards to the 30, and the Rockets were on the Charger 10 at the end of the game. In spite of the stiff challenge, Douglas still picked up 193 yards of the Rockets’ 246 rushing yards, and Rutledge was 6-of-9 passing for 112 yards and an interception. The Chargers finished with 110 yards on the ground and 94 through the air.

Semifinals
Plano 12 Trinity 0
Judson 27 Eisenhower 27

Final
Judson 36 Plano 13

The Rockets began the burn to start them on their Division I trajectory toward the moon with a Friday evening meeting with the Harlandale Indians. The Indians, however, had every intention of cutting the burn off before it got too far and hence forcing the Rockets into a quick, free-return abort path for a crash landing. As Rutledge alluded to, things started well enough for the Indians, but then an already bad situation became worse. RB Chris Reyna, who was on the sidelines with a broken ankle, was joined by QB Richard Martinez with a re-injured ankle of his own after only four (4) plays and the impressive start. The Indians punted, on the Rockets’ fourth offensive play of the game Clint Rutledge hit Alan Alcantara for a 55-yard pass play at the 7:55 mark of the opening period, and the Eneix PAT was good. With 1:45 remaining, Clint Rutledge took off on an option keeper for 55 yards and the Eneix kick made it 14-0. In the 2nd Quarter, the Rocket burn was well underway and going quite well, as demonstrated by two (2) consecutive scoring runs by Douglas : A 22-yarder and a 6-yarder at the 9:51 and 7:53 marks, respectively. Facilitated by a 53-yard punt return to the Indians’ 22-yard line by Paul Booker, backup QB Terry Hale shortly thereafter tossed a 7-yard pass to Doug Maziur for another score with 3:44 left in the 1st Half and, complemented by three (3) more Eneix PAT’s, the Rockets were up 35-0 at the break.

Coming out of the break, the Rockets got on the board twice more in the 3rd period: On a 74-yard run by Douglas at the 6:15 mark, and a 17-yard pass from Hale to Brian Yezierski with "four zeros" on the clock. The Eneix and Neuse PAT’s were good. The "four zeros" on the clock also signaled cut-off for a successful burn, and the Rockets were essentially on their way, although the Indians did score on a 5-yard pass and a successful PAT with 5:44 left in the game. The Indians only had two (2) infractions for 10 yards total, and their only turnover was an INT that came with a 12-of-18 passing effort for 125 yards. The Indians were only able to pick up a net of 11 yards on the ground, partially a result of the negative-17 yards in the 1st Half that were largely the result of two (2) William Montgomery sacks, and also due to the absence of Reyna. The Rockets, meanwhile, lost only one (1) fumble and experienced no INT’s as part of a 7-of-11 passing effort for 126 yards. The Rockets were penalized three (3) times for 35 yards, and had only one (1) punt, which went for 40 yards. On the ground, the Rockets picked up 321 yards, with Douglas getting 157 on twelve (12) carries, and the balance turned in by eight other ball carriers.

Holmes (7-2-1, 3-2)
November 19, 1993: Alamo Stadium
In the last game of the regular season, the "rivalry game" between Edison (8-2, 6-1) and Jefferson (5-5, 5-2)---both playoff-bound---ended in a bench-clearing brawl. SAISD Supt. Victor Rodriguez took a strong, punitive stand the following Tuesday by barring both teams from the playoffs. As a result, Holmes in Division I---originally set to play Jefferson---and Clark in Division II----originally set to play Edison---instead ended up with First-Round byes. Hence, Holmes was destined to play the winner of the meeting between Judson and Harlandale, but only after sitting out Round 1.

The Huskies, as a result of their unprecedented 1st-Round bye, perhaps had three (3) things going against them in this Friday evening affair at Alamo Stadium:

• It’s not easy for anyone to "take a week off" from the playoffs and expect to pick things up two (2) games deep
• The Rockets were really hitting their stride and, coming off a successful TLI (Translunar Injection) burn, had no intentions whatever of being forced, by a Pack of Huskies, into a difficult and dangerous turnaround abort
• In view of the tough challenges posed by the Huskies in the past, the Rockets knew all too well what they were capable of, especially in view of their near miss-semi-final loss to Yates the year before; hence they were well-focused on preventing a Pack Attack, especially since the playoff series for these two (2) teams at this point was knotted at 2-2, no one had gotten more than one (1) consecutive win, and the last playoff meeting was when the Rockets shot down the Huskies’ passing attack in the infamous 54-22 decision at this same location in 1986.

In spite of all this, the Huskies came out on their first possession as if they were on the Iditarod, penetrating deep into Rocket territory on a sustained drive before Paul Booker snatched an INT at the Rocket 4-yard line. The Rockets’ opening score came, with 4:58 to go in the opening period, on a 53-yard pass from Rutledge to Maziur in which he broke from the grasp of a Husky defender at the Holmes 32 just in time to grab the pass and take it in from there. This drama was followed up with the Eneix kick. On their subsequent possession, the Huskies also penetrated into Rocket territory, but once more the Rockets shut them off and, after the punt, drove 80 yards in six (6) plays to go up on a 37-yard pass play from Rutledge, that was caught by Shawn Hatter at the 11-yard line and taken in from there, and Eneix nailed the PAT at the 10:21 mark of the 2nd Quarter.

The Huskies then penetrated to the Rocket 36 and 41 on their next two (2) possessions, and then went to work from the Rocket 24-yard line after a 19-yard punt. Shortly thereafter, QB Chris Abrego completed a pass to Malcolm McKenzie for an 8-yard score, and the PAT cut the Rocket advantage in half with 5:57 left in THE Half. The Rocket Flight Crew and Flight Directors, however, had no intention of having the momentum shift and, in view of how quickly and dangerously things can change in spaceflight, they got back to work on the short, ensuing possession, with Clint Rutledge dashing 45 yards to the Holmes 8-yard line, and Douglas taking it in from there with 4:04 remaining. The Eneix PAT upped the count to 21-7. The Huskies then drove to the Rocket 29-yard line, where on 3rd-and-1 Montgomery broke up a pass at the goal line, and then collaborated with Leslie Brown in stuffing the next play for no gain and a change of possession if not momentum with 73 seconds remaining, which was just enough time to allow the Rockets to put Eneix in position to drill a 21-yard FG with "four zeros" on the clock.

1993 Regional Playoff Game - Holmes Huskies vs. Judson Rockets from Michael Alvarado on Vimeo.

Eagle Pass (5-4, 4-2)
November 27, 1993: Alamo Stadium
The Eagles, making their first trip to the Quarterfinals, swooped into Alamo Stadium for a Saturday afternoon aerial battle with the Rockets. The only problem with this, however, was that the Rockets were already in space and passing the halfway point on their trip to the moon; furthermore, Eagles don’t do very well in airless environments. Eneix would chip in eight (8) successful PAT’s and Neuse would add a ninth, and in the meantime nine (9) Rocket TD’s took place. Four (4) of those came in the opening period:

• Douglas on a 3-yard run 116 seconds into the affair
• Douglas on a punt return for 80 yards at the 8:17 mark
• Appleby with a run for 17 yards with 3:43 remaining
• Cotton on 28-yard run with 108 seconds to go

Between the 3rd and the 4th Rocket TD’s, the Eagles struck quickly, on an 87-yard pass play from Rudy Flores to Juan Felan, showing evidence of the pride, determination and good play that got them to Alamo Stadium, and the Benny Spiegel PAT was good. The 2nd Quarter saw the Rockets add two (2) more TD’s, these coming on an 11-yard run by Shannon Nash with 55 seconds gone, and a 1-yard run by Douglas with 5:42 to go in the Half. At the 9:15 mark of the 3rd Quarter, Douglas provided another score on a 32-yard run, and Cotton chipped in still another, on a 10-yard run with 2:45 to go. The final TD came on a 19-yard run by Tim Lee with 7:39 to play in the game, and Neuse then got and successfully used his chance to contribute the final PAT of the day. The Eagles picked up only 79 yards on the ground, but did get 134 yards through the air on a 3-of-19 effort and with no INT’s. The Eagles did lose two (2) fumbles, and had zero (0) return yards. The Rockets, on the other hand, had 100 return yards, no turnovers whatever and only one (1) punt, which went for 48 yards. They picked up 70 yards through the air on 4-of-5 passes, while the ground forces supplied 400 yards, with Douglas contributing 126 on twelve (12) totes, and nine (9) other ball carriers turning in the balance.

Eisenhower (8-2, 6-1)
December 4, 1993: Astrodome
"Swoop there it is." In a take-off to the most memorable part of that summer’s Tag Team hit, this was the season’s battle cry in the stands and on bumper stickers of Ike supporter cars as they converged on the Astrodome for a rematch with the Rockets to determine whether the Rockets or the Eagles----Eisenhower Eagles in this case---would earn the right to attempt a moon landing. As opposed to the Eagles from the previous week, these actually found a way to fly extremely high, and hence the Rockets arrived in Lunar Orbit only to find (as in "swoop there it is"?), as they had the year before, that Ike’s Eagles had also arrived and, in aiming for the same landing site, were in the same parking orbit with the Rockets. Because of safety restrictions, however, only one of these would be able to start their powered descent, and because of the extremely narrow window of opportunity to attempt the landing (not later than Noon the following Saturday), only (1) one would have the chance to land before the end of the year. The other would be returning to earth with somewhat less to show for the effort. This was the challenge facing the Rockets as they entered the terminal phase of their Back-2-Back Award Tour in front of an estimated 15000 witnesses.

The Rockets came out of the break, and Douglas helped extend their lead on a 61-yard run with 64 seconds gone. The Rockets returned to attempting kicks on the PAT, Eneix did not disappoint, and the Rockets led 27-19. Later in the 3rd Quarter, however, the Rockets attempted still one (1) more fake punt on 4th Down at their own 41-yard line, but this one was unsuccessful, and after a medium-range drive Cruse scored on an 8-yard run, he ran it again on a two-point play, and the game was tied at 27-each with 11:25 to go in the game. Later, Ike would take over at the Rocket 41-yard line with 6:14 to go, a few plays later it would be 4th Down and short for the Eagles at the Rocket 32-yard line with 4:05 remaining, and suddenly 20-yard penetrations and First Downs were becoming important. At the time, the Rockets led 5-4 in penetrations but trailed 15-11 in First Downs; hence, the Eagles would be in good shape if they could tie the penetrations, pick up additional First Downs, and possibly also score as a result of continuing to move the ball. Suddenly for me, I was starting to once more think of how painfully close the Volunteers came late in the 1972 Semifinal meeting in the ‘Dome with Sterling, only to come up short and end their Back-to-Back effort, and I was reminded why I hate Semifinal games. Finals, win or lose I can take-----I hate Semifinals---win or lose. Ike came really close, but apparently they came up fractions of an inch short, and the Rockets regained possession. On the return trip down I-10, I got to listen to the Quarterfinal game between Aldine MacArthur and LaPorte that followed this one (indeed, they were already waiting in the wings and in the stands), and the commentators, in reviewing the events of this game and this play, mentioned that they felt that the zebras gave the Rockets a rather liberal spot after the play and before they brought in the chains to measure. It was close, that’s all I can say. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth any more than they did after a certain apparent non-fumble just before taking the lead for good against Midland Lee in 1983, the Rockets picked up two (2) First Downs and bled the clock, punting to the Eagle 3-yard line with 53 seconds left. The Eagles, at this point in their history at least not known to pass that much, were then left needing to do just that, Paul Booker intercepted it and ran it back 20 yards with 35 seconds left, Terry Hale knelt down once, the Eagles were forced to quickly swoop out of Lunar Orbit and return to earth, and the Rockets were given a "GO" for PDI (ie, Powered Descent Initiation----in other words they were going back to the Big One).

As for me, I entertained thoughts about sticking around for the next game, but I quickly realized how emotionally drained I was left feeling, so I got the hell out of there and on the way back west I stopped at a Taco Bell outside of Katy, where some Tigers were already planning some future hunting trips. I hate Semifinals.

The Rockets, of course, were closing in on finishing their Back-2-Back Division I Award Tour to the "moon," and had no intentions whatever of letting anyone else's mystique or the threat of "Cat Scratch Fever" steal the dream of Rocket Pride and all of what that had to offer in keeping hope alive. In the real rocket program operated by NASA, nearly every one of the six (6) successful moon landing attempts experienced some rather peculiar last-minute glitches that threatened to either delay or even force a cancellation of the effort just hours and in some cases minutes before PDI (Powered Descent Initiation). Similarly for the Rocket Program operated out of Converse, Texas, this Back-2-Back effort had its moments both before and once their version of "PDI" got underway. In Judson's case, this included the bruised ribs that QB Clint Rutledge received in the Lunar Orbital duel with the Eagles the week before. Nevertheless, just as in NASA's case where some quick, work-around fixes and procedures along with a "Go Fever" determination by all involved saved the day, Clint donned his flak jacket for the Judson Rockets' history-making attempt and, as his father and Rocket Flight Director DW Rutledge said, "...he's a tough kid and wanted to be a part of this, too. It would have been tough to keep him out of the lineup." "Go Fever," the Judson Rocket way, in other words. The Rockets were "GO" for landing in front of the 18000 sun-soaked witnesses on-hand under the crystal-clear skies at Floyd Casey Stadium.

The Rockets took the kickoff and returned it to the 26-yard line. They moved the ball methodically down the field and the then converted on a 4th-and-2 play at the Plano 44-yard line. Douglas got the pickup and may very well have gone all the way had he not tripped over Perry McCarty. Not to worry, Douglas got in anyway a few plays later, carrying the ball in from eight (8) yards out. The PAT was no good, however, but the Rockets led 6-0 at the 6:17 mark of the opening period. Mike Nelson then took the kickoff for the Wildcats, but then proceeded to get stuffed on two (2) of Plano's first three (3) offensive plays from scrimmage for a quick three-end-out. Following the punt, the Rockets got the ball at the Wildcat 41-yard line. An offside call on 1st Down set the Rockets back to the 46-yard line, but the Rockets, well into their powered descent now, throttled up on time from 10% to full thrust when Rutledge faked a handoff to Douglas but then unleashed a rainbow pass that Doug Maziur caught at the 18-yard line and took into the endzone to put the Rockets up 12-0 with 3:56 remaining in the 1st Quarter. Douglas, however, was stopped inches shy on the run for two (2) points.

Plano's Toby Euting took the kickoff and returned it to the 27-yard line, but once more the Cats got stuffed on the first two (2) plays. The Wildcats, realizing that they really, if at all possible, weren't quite ready to go into full hibernation quite yet then got things going on 3rd-and-8 when Nelson connected with Defense man Todd Mrozek--who was also inserted as a wide receiver for the Final Exam---for a 51-yard hookup to the Rocket 18-yard line, although Mrozek got dinged on the play. An offside penalty on the Rockets thereafter brought things down to the 10-yard line, although Leslie Brown got a sack back to the 15. An option pitchout to Derrick Williams brought things down to the 5-yard line, but Josh green brought up 4th-and-1 by stopping Nelson inches shy of the goal line. Finally, however, Derrick Williams punched it in on the next play, the PAT was good, and the Rockets' advantage was trimmed to 12-7 with 37 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter.

Douglas returned the ensuing kickoff up to the 28-yard line, and shortly thereafter got a 17-yard pickup on the answer-back drive. The Rockets got as far as the Wildcat 15-yard line, but the Plano Defense stiffened, keyed largely by a Mrozek stop on Douglas. The Wildcats took over, but experienced a 3-and-out scenario, punting to the Rocket 48-yard line. The Rockets then converted on a 4th-and-inches play at the Plano 40-yard line to keep the drive alive, but got set back somewhat on a penalty that netted a 2nd-and-18 situation at the Plano 39. A reverse to Maziur, however, brought the Rockets to the 25-yard line. A rollout pass was then dropped at the 11-yard line, the Cats stiffened, and the Rockets settled for James Eneix' 42-yard FG with 101 seconds remaining in the 1st Half to recover some of the Rockets' advantage for a 15-7 lead.

The Rockets, required to kick from their own 10-yard line as a result of the penalty called at the end of the 1st Half, began the 2nd Half the way the Wildcats ended the 1ts Half-----with a squib kick. The tactic worked quite nicely, as the Cats couldn't get a handle on it until it came to rest at the Plano 10-yard line. The Cats appeared to continue having trouble moving on the ground, and a holding call also set them back half-the-distance-to-the-goal. With all that, however, John Spae got a good gainer to the 20-yard line, and then Derrick Williams broke a tackle and got loose down to the Rockets' 45-yard line. The Cats then moved to the 40, but an illegal motion penalty turned a 3rd-and-6 situation into a 3rd-and-11. On 4th Down the Wildcats attempted a fake punt, but the Rockets had it well-covered, nailing Josh Byther on the play, and the Rockets took over at the 7:52 mark of the 3rd period. A play action fake moved the ball to the Plano 31-yard line, and Rutledge picked up a larger part of the ground yardage on that ensuing drive. Douglas carried it in from the 1-yard line, Eneix was good on the PAT, and the Rockets were up 22-13 with 4:08 left in the penultimate period.

On the subsequent kickoff, Mike Nelson got still one (1) more stellar return, this one to the 45-yard line where Jerod Douglas brought him down. A few plays later, Derrick Williams took off on a 30-yard dash for paydirt---or so it seemed until the zebras signaled "holding." On the subsequent play, the Cats got a DOG (ie, Delay Of Game), which moved the ball back to the 35-yard line. Williams then got sacked by Chad Scott, back to the 42-yard line, following an otherwise well-executed pitchout from Nelson. The Rockets then gutted the Cats' threat on the next play when Ansel Carter hauled in the INT in the endzone. A celebration unsportsmanlike call and then still another penalty set the Rockets back to their own 5-yard line, however. Douglas helped keep the drive alive with a gainer to the 28-yard line, and Douglas and Rutledge continued to pick up key conversions to move the chains and bleed the clock somewhat. Todd Mrozek, however, terminated the Rockets' drive by recovering for the Wildcats at the Plano 30-yard line with 8:45 left in the game. The ensuing Plano drive essentially went nowhere, however, as Nelson threw an incomplete pass, Derrick Williams then got shut off at the Cats' 34-yard line on a 4th-and-5 play, and the Rockets took over. Shortly thereafter, Jerod Douglas got loose for a 17-yard TD, Eneix was good with the PAT, and the Rockets had a 29-13 advantage with 5:36 left to play. The Rockets' squib kickoff was taken by Javier Molina at the 30-yard line, and on the 1st play Paul Booker stole a pass that Nelson had earmarked for Mrozek. A Holding call set the Rockets back to their own 31-yard line, and on the following play an incomplete pass was almost picked off. Having dodged that bullet, on the next play and with 240 seconds remaining the Rockets got a final victory run for their Award Tour when Jerod Douglas took off on a 69-yard sprint for the score, and Eneix brought the tally to 36-13.

Seconds after Apollo 11 made its successful landing at the Sea of Tranquility Flight Director Gene Kranz, still focused on the task at hand, was just as "happy, thrilled and proud"---not to mention relieved----as the next person in Mission Control, but he also had a flight that needed attention because it wouldn't mean a thing if they didn't get off safely the following afternoon. Hence, still focused on the mission, he had to chide his controllers and assorted crew members from other flights with "OK keep the chatter down in this room." They didn't give him the nickname "General Savage" for nothing. Nevertheless, anyone who knew Kranz knew that he had a real heart and soul. The Judson Rockets, their Support Team, the FOD and above all the Flight Crew were likewise "happy, thrilled and proud"---not to mention relieved----following Jerod's 69-yarder, and they let this fact be known when the Flight Crew members did the classic Gatorade routine on Rocket Flight Director Rutledge. Likewise one with a real heart and soul but one for whom the title "General Savage" doesn't seem to quite fit, he was nevertheless still focussed on the task at hand and was determined to see to it that Plano didn't in some way steal the Flight Crew's dream; hence,the live television coverage showed him somewhat good-naturedly warning "don't celebrate too soon"----his version of "OK keep the chatter down in this room," I suppose. For one thing, the Rockets still hadn't landed yet. They still had four (4) minutes left, and a lot could still happen. Mike Nelson in fact returned the kick to the 40-yard line, but the Cats could get no closer than the Judson 14-yard line, and the Rockets took over. There were numerous "garbage time" plays and penalties, the Plano staff did a fairly good job at clock management in the hopes of getting one last shot, and the Rockets punted with 20 seconds remaining. Paul Booker, however, hauled in one final INT as time expired, with it the Rockets had completed their Back-2-Back Award Tour to the moon, and Jerod Douglas would soon be making numerous back-to-back visits to this particular venue by accepting a scholarship to Baylor.

Semifinals
Lewisville 40 Temple 16
Aldine MacArthur 20 Victoria 7

Final
Lewisville 43 Aldine MacArthur 37

By virtue of Lee's 31-13 win over Mac in the final game of the regular season, the Vols advanced to a First Round matchup in Seguin with the Matadors. They fell behind 14-7 at the intermission, but took things over in the 2nd Half and emerged with their first playoff victory since 1977. Taft, meanwhile, converted a blocked punt and an INT into eventual TD's to break open a tight game in the 3rd Quarter with the Cherokees to set up a Saturday afternoon meeting with the Vols at Blossom. The Raiders jumped out to a 24-0 lead helped largely by a 24-yard INT return by Jemal Singleton with 3:56 left in the opening period, and at the 9:21 mark of the 3rd Quarter when Singleton did it again, this time on a 26-yard INT return. Even with all that and more by the Raiders the Vols actually had a chance. The Vols pulled to within 24-8 on a two-yard run and a pass for two (2) points with 28 seconds left in the 3rd Quarter. Then, late in the game Lee threatened at the Raider 12-yard line, Taft held, but then gave the Vols another shot from the Raider 27-yard line when the snap was bad on the punt. The Vols got in with 33 seconds left in the game, and they were once more good on the two-point play. They trailed 4-3 in penetrations but led 16-8 in First Downs, so they had a respectable chance of knotting things up if they could score and get a third consecutive 2-point play. The Raiders, however, recovered the onside kick and they advanced to play Alice at Buccaneer Stadium the following Saturday.

The meeting with the Coyotes wasn't nearly as pleasant for the Raiders, as they grabbed a 10-6 lead in the 1st Quarter but then wilted under a strong passing attack and a series of turnovers. Meanwhile up at UT Austin that same evening, Churchill had a similar unfortunate ending via the turnover and good overall defensive play by Victoria, as the Stingarees reeled in five (5) Charger turnovers and converted four (4) of them for scores. I love defensive games---where the "defense becomes the offense"---as Taft had done the previous two (2) weeks---and the stats for this game are a masterpiece deserving of full inclusion in this Region IV-related history.

As a result of the foregoing defensive masterpieces, the Stingarees and Coyotes earned the right to a rematch of their regular-season District 30-5A showdown, which the Stingarees won 20-19. The Saturday evening rematch at UT Austin saw Victoria emerge with a 35-21 Quarterfinal decision in which they sufficiently neutralized the passing combo of Zeke Luna and Chris Brazell---one of 1993's most prolific passing attacks in 5A. That result facilitated a Semi-final matchup with Aldine MacArthur, winner of the second of the Astrodome double headers that featured the Judson-Eisenhower drama earlier in the day. About the time the Rockets successfully completed their Back-2-Back Award Tour with the 36-13 verdict in Waco, Victoria and Aldine Mac squared off at Kyle Field. The Stingarees led 7-6 at the intermission, and then clung tenaciously to that advantage as they entered the final period and in fact had the ball for 24 of the first 30 plays of the Second Half, but the Generals got critical 4th-Down stops when the Stingarees threatened at the Mac 6 with 4:35 left in the 3rd Quarter, and again at the Mac 38 with 9:06 left in the game. The Generals went from there and scored 14 points in a span of 87 seconds midway through that final period.

Meanwhile, at Texas Stadium Lewisville terminated Temple's attempt at a Back-2-Back. The Farmers' blowout of the Wildcats signaled the end of a gutsy effort after the rather inauspicious beginning that saw the visiting Rockets leave a blowout goose-egg calling card back on September 24 as part of their Division I Award Tour. The Generals, in turn, put in a gutsy performance that simply ran out of time in coming up short in the classic 43-37 shoot-out with the Farmers at the Astrodome on December 18.